There was a time when Maurice Lacroix was undeniably square.
It was a middle of the road Swiss watch brand with little brand identity and with a name borrowed from an employee.
Even brand managers struggled to find a suitable positioning for Maurice Lacroix. I know because I used to advertise the brand.
Today much has changed.
True they still have the same name, but as part of the Desco Group they have elevated the company to the higher ranks of Swiss watch manufactures. And they have done it by maintaining traditional ‘Swiss watch making art’ and by creating their own movements for its Masterpiece Collection.
So last year, Maurice Lacroix was square in a whole new way. They developed a square wheel mechanism, claimed to be the first in watchmaking history. This year, the follow up, the Maurice Lacroix’s Roue Carrée Seconde, offers a fresh angle by focusing on the seconds display. As a result, the Masterpiece Roue Carrée Seconde is another exciting addition to the portfolio, and if nothing else it’s a stunning looking watch.
Designed by watchmaker and engineer Michel Vermot in collaboration with the Haute Ecole Arc du Locle, the square wheel mechanism has taken years to perfect. As the gear profiles of non-circular wheels cannot, by definition, be regular, the principal challenge was to define the shape of the teeth in order to ensure constant power transfer. The wheels were made using LiGA technology—a process that combines the techniques of photolithography and electroforming to make high-precision micro-components that cannot be made with traditional machining methods. Proof once more that watch makers are increasingly turning to high tech solutions to develop new ideas.
The small-seconds display is interesting to watch due to the rhythmic movement of the square wheel with its geometric openwork. The square wheel, whose corners and contours mesh with the same precision as its circular counterparts, is activated by a toothed clover-leaf wheel and turns continuously to create an extremely dynamic visual effect
The hours and minutes are indicated by a simple central hands coated with Superluminova. There’s a 45 hour power-reserve indicator at 3 o’clock and the hours, minutes and power reserve are displayed directly on the main plate, which serves as the dial. The watch’s readability is enhanced by its rhodium finish, which makes the indicators literally glow.
The 43mm steel case showcases its silhouette while the large sapphire-crystal case back reveals the ML156 mechanical movement decorated with what is known in the trade as Grand Colimaçon. As for price it’s been coyly unpublished at this time.
